Absorbent incontinence article and method with adjustable engaging placement

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of the disclosure provide for improved adjustability, adherence, and engagement of absorbent incontinence articles. An absorbent article is designed to fit various body contours and sizes and facilitate placements of the scrotum or genitals for comfort. An absorbent article may include a structure and materials to absorb fluid, for instance a paper or napkin-like article made using virgin fiber or recycled fibers and may include superabsorbent. The article, for instance a sheath or liner is adapted to provide no or at least one split or cleft, and thus at least one absorbent flap, to tuck into or engage a crotch of the underwear and restrict movement of the article. An adhesive or other fastening means is also provided to restrict article movement. The absorbent article also includes graduated placement indicia to facilitate retention of proper fit.

CROSS REFERENCE AND PRIORITY TO A RELATED APPLICATION

This non-provisional patent application is a continuation in part of andclaims priority to and the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/183,791, entitled “Absorbent Incontinence Article and Method withAdjustable Engaging Placement” filed Jun. 16, 2106, which claimspriority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/181,184, filed on Jun.17, 2015, by Lawrence M. Alligood, entitled “Absorbent IncontinenceArticle and Method with Adjustable Conforming Fit”, each of which isexpressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

COPYRIGHT

All rights, including copyrights, in the material included herein arevested in and are the property of the Applicant. The Applicant retainsand reserves all rights in the material included herein, and grantspermission to reproduce the material only in connection withreproduction of the granted patent and for no other purpose.

FIELD

The field of this invention relates generally to disposable absorbentfiber articles for absorbing fluids resulting from urinary incontinenceand more particularly to disposable absorbent shields, barriers, liners,sheaths, layers, or napkins having an adjustable, conforming, adhering,fastening, and/or engaging placement and method.

BACKGROUND

Urinary incontinence, especially in some adult men, can be embarrassingand problematic. This problem is particularly acute for male adults whoexperience urinary flow irregularities, such as slow and intermittenturine dribbling and unpredictable dribbling. Often, the residual urinecan flow unchecked which can soil, splotch, or stain the underclothingor trousers and cause embarrassment and discomfort. This condition cancause the affected individual emotional distress and adversely impacthis personal esteem, mobility, and quality of life. Further, thisresidual moisture may irritate the skin of the scrotum and perineum.Conventional methods for addressing this problem include pads or diapersthat often are uncomfortable or don't appeal to men. For example, menmay feel embarrassed or are emotionally distressed by wearing a productthat is similar to a diaper or a female menstrual cycle pad.

Moreover, conventional products are complex and may not adequately fitsome of the men or include sufficient instructions for proper placement.Further, the necessity of making a variety of sizes available cause'sconsumers of conventional products to guess at what size is suitable fortheir particular body build and size. And, businesses must carryinventory of multiple product sizes, which often increases businesscosts. Although various devices and absorbent products have beenproposed in the past to cope with these problems, these products havebeen too expensive, complex, or impractical in terms of male appeal,comfort, and ease of use. Accordingly, there is a need to provide aurinary incontinence article and method that overcomes these and otherdifficulties.

SUMMARY

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This Summary is not intended to be used to limit theclaimed subject matter's scope.

As will be described in greater detail below, the various embodiments ofthe present disclosure provide for improved adjustability, conformingfit, and engaging, adhering, and/or fastening placement of disposableabsorbent urinary incontinence articles. In particular, embodiments ofthe present disclosure allow the wearers of the absorbent article tomore readily go about their daily tasks without the nuisance of anuncomfortable or embarrassing experience with conventional incontinenceproducts. At least one object of embodiments of the present disclosureis to provide men who experience light, moderate, or non-extreme urinaryincontinence, a disposable absorbent article that is designed to fitvarious body contours and sizes and facilitate various placements of thescrotum or genitals for comfort. In one aspect, a disposable absorbentarticle may include an absorbent structure that absorbs fluid, forinstance a paper or napkin-like article made using virgin fiber orrecycled fibers in order to achieve certain softness and strengthattributes. The disposable absorbent article, for instance a sheath,liner, shield, layer, or barrier, is adapted to optionally provideeither no, or at least one split, slit, or cleft, and thus at least oneor two absorbent flaps, at the bottom of the sheath, barrier, or linerto facilitate comfortable placement of the scrotum or genitals aspreferred by the wearer or user of the absorbent article and to achievea snug, engaged, anchored, or form-fitting geometry and optionalplacement of more absorbent material where needed in the crotch region.The absorbent article is anchored, adhered, fastened, or engaged as anupper section of the article adheres or fastens to an under garment, atleast a single flap of the article is placed atop the crotch region orcrotch of underwear, (including briefs), or, at least one split engageswith a crotch (the part of a garment that passes between the legs) ofthe underwear, undergarment, or undershorts, in particular boxer shortsor boxer briefs to engage and minimize shifting or movement of theabsorbent article with respect to the underwear. The one or moreabsorbent flaps may extend down over the underwear crotch region orcrotch down toward and over the upper thighs of the user, under thethigh coverings of the underwear, or under the groin atop the crotchtoward the rear of the underwear as a continuing sheath, liner, orbarrier.

In another aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure may includeplacement or graduated indicia marked on the disposable absorbentarticle to indicate to a user proper placement of the article withrespect to his underwear, torso length, and body size. The graduatedindicia may be displayed as the article folds over a waistband of thesupporting underwear or garment.

In another aspect, embodiments of the disclosure may include absorbentarticles having adhering or fastening means, such as pressure sensitiveadhesive, clipping, or connecting means, for attaching the article to asupporting garment. For instance, the adhesive may be applied to thebottom, garment-facing, surface of the article and include at least twoparallel adhesive lines or strips covered by a protective release sheet.Alternatively, a fastening or clipping means, such as bent wire orplastic with shape retention, may be used to connect the absorbentarticle to the supporting underwear or garment. The adhering orfastening means may be applied to an outer surface of the garment once aportion of the article is folded over a waistband of the supportinggarment and the protective sheet has been removed from the adhesive orthe connecting means has been added. Alternatively, the adhering orfastening means may engage with the inner, body-facing surface of theundergarment prior to or without folding of the article over a waistbandof the undergarment or underwear. The adhesive strips, fasteners, and/orarticle waistband fold-over are effective in preventing displacement ofthe article and in countering the shear forces exerted on the article,including forces from leg motion or body motion.

Still, in another aspect, a disposable absorbent article with anadjustable, body contour conforming fit and engaging placement mayinclude an absorbent structure that is configured to sufficiently absorbfluid before the fluid reaches the users underclothing and outerclothing even, optionally, without inclusion of an impermeable layer inthe absorbent structure. The disposable absorbent structure may includeat least a one or two-ply (top sheet and back sheet) fiber basedbarrier, sheath, layer, or liner with a bottom or lower portion of thestructure including at least a two or three-ply or more (top, middle,and bottom) fiber (or other absorbent material) based sheets. Thethird-ply or third layer may increase absorbency of the article as muchas 50 percent compared to including a two-ply lower portion.

Both the foregoing general description and the following detaileddescription provide examples and are explanatory only. Accordingly, theforegoing general description and the following detailed descriptionshould not be considered to be restrictive. Further, features orvariations may be provided in addition to those set forth herein. Forexample, embodiments may be directed to various feature combinations andsub-combinations described in the detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this disclosure, illustrate various embodiments of the presentinvention disclosure. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of one suitable embodiment of an absorbentarticle having an absorbent structure where at least a portion of thestructure includes a top sheet, internal sheet and a back, or bottom,sheet;

FIG. 2 is a perspective of another suitable embodiment of an absorbentarticle;

FIG. 3 is a perspective of still another suitable embodiment of anabsorbent article including graduated placement indicia;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the absorbent article of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5A-5B are a perspective of an absorbent article in use engagingthe crotch of the underwear and a method flow of utilizing the placementindicia of the absorbent article of FIG. 3 in conjunction with awaistband of underwear to restrict movement of the absorbent articlewith respect to the underclothing;

FIG. 6 is a frontal perspective of an absorbent article before and atinitial placement inside the undergarment engaging the undergarmentcrotch;

FIG. 7 is a frontal and side perspective of the absorbent article ofFIG. 6 folded over and engaged with the undergarment according to theplacement indicia and desired fit

FIG. 8 is a perspective of a bottom, garment-facing, surface of anothersuitable absorbent article embodiment having an absorbent structure witha singular absorbent flap and a garment adhering element;

FIGS. 9A-9B are fold-over bottom surface and top, body-facing surfacerespectively, view perspectives of the absorbent article of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a perspective of the absorbent article of FIG. 8 in useengaging the waistband of and adhering to an underwear garment; and

FIG. 11 is a frontal and side perspective of an alternative absorbentarticle configuration folded over, adhering or fastened to, and engagedwith the undergarment in accordance with placement indicia and desiredfit.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts,components, or elements throughout the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that thepresent disclosure is a description of exemplary embodiments, and is notintended as limiting the broader aspects of the present invention. Ingeneral, embodiments of present invention are directed to unobtrusive,convenient, and male-appealing absorbent articles incorporating at leastone or two engaging conforming placement portions or absorbent flapsthat may be placed in the frontal urinary area of a user and securedbetween the crotch area and the top of underwear briefs or boxer briefsor may anchor or engage the crotch of an undergarment and extend downtoward and over the thighs of the user or thigh coverings of theundergarment, such as boxer shorts or boxer briefs, as a continuingsheath, liner, or barrier. Embodiments of the present invention alsoincorporate methods of manufacture, methods of use, and proper placementindicia visible to a user as the absorbent article is put in place andfolded over a waistband of the user's underwear. Embodiments alsoinclude an adhering or fastening means operative to restrict movement ofthe article with respect to the undergarment and the user. For instance,adhesive temporarily covered by a protective sheet may be placed on agarment-facing side of the article to hold the article in place once itis folded over a waistband of the underwear or alternatively prior to orwithout folding the article over the waistband. In accordance with thepresent disclosure, the absorbent articles may include multiple paperlayers made using virgin fiber or recycled fiber sheaths in order toachieve certain softness, absorbency, and strength attributes. In oneembodiment, for instance, the multiple layers or sheets may beconfigured, attached, or connected together using thread, adhesive, orother adhering or connecting means. In this manner, the wearerexperiences a comfortable and discrete fit even when the absorbentarticle has been insulted with a body fluid, such as urine.

FIGS. 1-11 illustrate numerous suitable embodiments of a disposableabsorbent article, such as an absorbent barrier, sheath, liner, shield,layer, or napkin. FIG. 1 illustrates one absorbent article embodimentindicated generally at 100, configured to absorb fluid, such as bodilyfluid. The illustrated disposable absorbent article 100 is sized andshaped to fit a variety of body or torso builds. The length and width ofthe article may range from about five inches (12.7 cm) to about 12inches (30.5 cm) or seven (17.8 cm) to nine inches (22.9 cm) in widthand from about ten to 24 inches (25.4 to 61 cm) or 18 to 22 inches (45.7to 55.9 cm) in length.

The absorbent article 100 has a longitudinal direction 1 and a lateraldirection 2. An embodiment of the illustrated absorbent article 100, forexample, has a length L (i.e., the extent of the absorbent article inthe longitudinal direction 1) of approximately 21.5 inches (54.6 cm) anda width W (i.e., the extent of the disposable absorbent article in thelateral direction 2) of approximately 7.5 inches (19 cm). Thus, theillustrated absorbent article 100 is generally rectangular. It isunderstood that the article 100 can have any suitable length and/orwidth. It is also understood that the absorbent article 100 can have anysuitable shape (e.g., square, circular, elliptical).

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the illustrated absorbent article 100 includesa body-side or top sheet 102, optionally, a garment side back sheet 104,and optionally, within at least a lower portion 117, a middle sheet 106disposed between the top sheet 102 and the back sheet 104. In theillustrated embodiment, the top sheet 102 and back sheet 104 may extendbeyond the periphery of the middle sheet 106 and be sewn or adhesivelybonded to each other. It is understood, however, that the top sheet 102and back sheet 104 can be bonded together about the periphery of themiddle sheet 106 using any suitable bonding technique. It is alsounderstood that the top sheet 102, back sheet 104, and middle sheet 106can be coextensive or that the top sheet and/or back sheet can have anextent less than the middle sheet. It is also understood that across alower portion 117, the top sheet 102, and the middle sheet 106 or theback sheet 104 and the middle sheet 106 are interchangeable in order. Itis also understood that the absorbent article 100 may be solely 1-plyhaving just the body side top sheet 102 (just 1-ply) in an upper portion114 having the lower portion 117 with at least a 1 or 2-plyconfiguration. Alternatively, the lower portion may 117 may solelyinclude at least 1, 2, or 3-ply absorbent material while the upperportion 114 is made of different materials.

More specifically, the incontinence absorbent article 100 is structuredfor use with undershorts, underwear, or pants. The absorbent article 100may include the upper portion 114 and the lower portion 117, where thelower portion 117 includes at least a portion of the absorbent body-sidesheet 102 having a split 105 extending longitudinally from an edge ofthe lower portion 117 toward the upper portion 114 and forming at leasttwo absorbent flaps 110 in the lower portion 117. The split 105 bordersat least one side of the absorbent flaps 110. The absorbent flaps 110are structured to engage with and extend downward beyond a crotch of theundershorts restrict lateral movement, and eventually downward movement,of the absorbent article 100 with respect to the undershorts orunderwear. The split 105 may extend a distance greater than zero andless than about half of a length, L, of the absorbent article 100.Optionally, the split 105 may extend a distance greater than about halfthe length L, but less than L. For example, the split or slit 105 mayextend a distance at, or greater than, about a sixteenth of the lengthL.

Alternatively, as described above, the absorbent article 100 may alsoinclude the back sheet 104 within at least the lower portion 117 wherethe body-side or top sheet 102 is above the back sheet 104. Stillfurther, the article 100 may include the middle sheet 106 between theback sheet 104 and the top sheet 102, the middle sheet 106 being withinat least the lower portion 117 of the article 100 where at least themiddle sheet 106 and the top sheet 102 are each made from an absorbentmaterial. Thus, the top sheet 102 can be liquid permeable and the backsheet may be liquid impermeable, the top sheet 102 being adjacent to theabsorbent middle sheet 106 on a side opposite the back sheet 104. In analternative embodiment, the back sheet 104 may also be liquid permeable.The back sheet 104 can also be made of an absorbent material and locatedwithin the upper portion 114 adjacent to the top sheet 102.

The absorbent article 100 can also include an absorbent wicking fold 130disposed longitudinally on the top sheet 102 adding absorbentcapabilities to the article 100 directing body fluid away from a user'sskin. The absorbent article 100 also can include placement indicia 125disposed on the upper portion 114 to allow a user to retain and adjustplacement of the absorbent article 100. A segment of the upper portion114 placed over a waistband of undershorts or underwear provides areference point for placement of subsequent absorbent articles as wellas restricts movement of the article (downward and upward) with respectto undergarments and garments.

As described in more detail below, the top sheet 102 may be made from awoven fabric, nonwoven fabric, liquid permeable film, or combinationsthereof. The middle sheet 106, top sheet 102, and back sheet 104 can bemade from cellulose, wood pulp, rayon, cotton, polymeric fibers, andcombinations thereof.

With reference now to FIG. 1, the top sheet 102 may include a liquidpermeable material, which allows fluids to pass into the top sheet andoptionally, into the underling middle sheet 106 and back sheet 104.Absorbent article 100 includes the upper portion 114 and the lower, orbottom portion 117. The upper portion 114 may include at least one ortwo layers of fiber, napkin, or paper based absorbent material (one ortwo-ply). The lower portion 117 may include at least one, two, or threelayers of fiber, napkin, or paper based absorbent material (one, two, orthree-ply) where the absorbency need is greater. Absorbency estimatesshow that adding the third layer, optionally middle sheet 106, is likelyto increase overall absorbency capacity by approximately 50 percentcompared to overall capacity without a third layer. The absorbentstructure 100 targets an absorbent capacity of the average man withurinary incontinence during an average day. The structure 100 alsotargets convenience such that a spare absorbent article can be foldedand placed in a gentlemen's pocket for future placement on an unusual orextended day.

It should be noted that the body-side top sheet 102 can also include orconsist of a layer constructed of any operative material and may be acomposite material. For example, the top sheet 102 may include a wovenfabric, a nonwoven fabric, a polymer film, a film-nonwoven fabriclaminate or the like, as well as combinations thereof. Examples of anonwoven fabric useable in the top sheet 102 include, for example, anair-laid nonwoven web, a spunbond nonwoven web, a melt-blown nonwovenweb, a bonded-carded web, a hydro-entangled nonwoven web, a spun-laceweb or the like, as well as combinations thereof. Other examples ofsuitable materials for constructing the top sheet 102 can include rayon,bonded-carded webs of polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon, orother heat-bondable fibers, finely perforated film webs, net-likematerials, and the like, as well as combinations thereof. These webs canbe prepared from polymeric materials such as, for example, polyolefins,such as polypropylene and polyethylene and copolymers thereof,polyesters in general including aliphatic esters such as polylacticacid, nylon or any other heat-bondable materials. When the top sheet 102is a film or a film laminate, the film should be sufficiently aperturedor otherwise be made to allow fluids to flow through the top sheet 102to the absorbent structure 104 or 106.

Other examples of suitable materials for the top sheet 102 are compositematerials of a polymer and a nonwoven fabric material. The compositematerials are typically in the form of integral sheets generally formedby the extrusion of a polymer to form a nonwoven web, such as aspun-bond material. In a particular arrangement, the top sheet 102 canbe configured to be operatively liquid-permeable with regard to theliquids that the pad is intended to absorb or otherwise handle.

It is contemplated that the top sheet 102 can have the same extent asthe middle sheet 106 and/or back sheet 104 or can have an extent less orgreater than the middle sheet and/or back sheet. It is furthercontemplated that in some embodiments (not shown), the top sheet 102,middle 106, and/or the bottom sheet 104 can be omitted. Thus, in suchembodiments, the disposable absorbent article 100 may comprise themiddle sheet 106 and/or the back sheet 104. Other suitable materialswhich can be used to form the middle sheet 106, top sheet 102, or backsheet 104 include those materials used in absorbent pads, or in 1, 2, or3-ply napkins or towels, as may be manufactured, for instance by GeorgiaPacific Corporation or Kimberly Clark Corporation, and includematerials, such as, for example, cellulose, wood pulp fluff, rayon,cotton, and melt-blown polymers such as polyester, polypropylene,various fibers, or coform nonwoven. Coform nonwoven is a melt-blownair-formed combination of melt-blown polymers, such as polypropylene,and absorbent staple fibers, such as cellulose.

The top sheet 102, back sheet 104, and/or the middle sheet 106 can alsobe formed from a composite comprised of a hydrophilic material which maybe formed from various natural or synthetic fibers, wood pulp fibers,regenerated cellulose or cotton fibers, or a blend of pulp and otherfibers. One particular example of a material which may be used as theabsorbent structure is an air-laid material. The absorbent structure mayalso include a superabsorbent material to increase absorbency andminimize odor.

The absorbent article 100 can also include a split, slit, or cleft 105,at least two absorbent flaps 110, connecting means 120, for instancesewn stitching or adhesive connecting the multiple layers or napkins,graduated indicia 125 (optionally perforated), and wicking fold 130. Theat least two flaps 110 in the lower portion 117 are configured to fit orengage over the crotch of the user's underwear whether the usercomfortably “wears” or places his genitals or scrotum to his left,center, or right. The split 105 facilitates the anchoring or engagementof at least one flap 110 to a crotch of the user's underwear (e.g. boxershorts or briefs) on the right or left side or center (fold over crotchengagement) for more absorbency and a customized comfort fit thatminimizes movement of the absorbent article 100. The flaps 110 extenddown toward and over the upper thighs of the user or under thighcoverings of the underwear as a continuing absorbent sheath, liner, orbarrier.

FIG. 2 is a perspective of another suitable embodiment of an absorbentarticle 200. Absorbent article 200 includes an upper portion 214 and alower, or bottom, portion 217. The upper portion 214 may include atleast one or two layers of fiber, napkin, or paper based absorbentmaterial (one or two-ply). The lower portion 217 may include at leastone, two, or three layers of fiber, napkin, or paper based absorbentmaterial (three-ply) where the absorbency need is greater. The absorbentarticle 200 can also include at least two splits, slits, or clefts 205,at least two small flaps 210, at least one larger flap 215, andconnecting means 220, for instance sewn stitching, adhesives, or otherbonding elements 220 connecting the multiple layers or napkins.Alternatively, the flaps 210 and 215 may be the same size. The at leasttwo small flaps 210 and the at least one larger flap 215 in the lowerportion 217 are configured, structured to fit or engage over theunderwear crotch whether the user comfortably “wears” or places hisgenitals or scrotum to his left, center, or right. The splits 205facilitate engagement over the underwear crotch 520 (described belowwith respect to FIG. 5) of at least one flap 210 or 215 on the right orleft side or folded over center for more absorbency and a customizedcomfort placement that minimizes movement of the absorbent article 200with respect to the user's body and the undergarment. The larger flap215 allows for flexible placement of even a higher concentration ofabsorbent capacity within the crotch region as desired by the user.

Similarly, the absorbent article 200 can include the upper portion 214,the lower portion 217, optionally with respect to FIG. 1 the top sheet102, the back sheet 104, and/or the middle sheet 106 within at least thelower portion 217 of the article 200 between the top 102 and bottomsheets 104, and at least two slits 205 extending longitudinally from anedge of the lower portion 217 toward the upper portion 214 a distance ofabout less than a half a length of the absorbent article and greaterthan zero. The two slits 205 define the center flap 215 and the two sideflaps 210. The slits or splits 205 may extend toward the upper portion214 at least a sixteenth of the length of the article 200. The absorbentarticle 200 may further include placement indicia 235 laterally disposedon the upper portion 214 to allow a user to adjust to and retain aplacement setting 235 of the article 200 and subsequent articles of thesame size and design.

FIG. 3 is a perspective of still another suitable embodiment of adisposable absorbent article 300 including graduated placement indicia325 optionally perforated for removal of excess liner material atperforations 340 per a user's preference. Absorbent article 300 includesan upper portion 314 and a lower or bottom portion 317. The upperportion 314 may include at least one or two layers of fiber, napkin, orpaper based absorbent material (one or two-ply). The lower portion 317may include at least one, two, or three layers of fiber, napkin, orpaper based absorbent material (one, two, or three-ply). The absorbentarticle 300 can also include at least one split, slit, or cleft 305, atleast two flaps 310, at least one adjunct flap 315 overlapping the split305, and connecting means 320, for instance sewn stitching connectingthe multiple layers or napkins.

The at least two flaps 310 and the at least one adjunct flap 315 in thelower portion 317 are configured or structured to engage over and withthe undergarment crotch whether the user comfortably “wears” or placeshis genitals or scrotum to his left, center, or right. The split 305facilitates the anchoring of at least one flap 310 or 315 on the rightor left side or center for more absorbency and a customized comfortplacement that minimizes movement of the absorbent article 300 once itsinserted or installed. The adjunct flap 315 allows for even moreflexible placement of more absorbency within the crotch region asdesired by the user. The graduated placement indicia 325 allow the userto find and remember the most appropriate placement of the absorbentarticle 300 for his torso size and body build. As described in moredetail below with respect to FIGS. 5-7, the top portion 314 is placedover the top of the user's underwear at the same indicia marking oncethe user finds the most appropriate fit or placement.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the disposable absorbent article 300 of FIG.3 that illustrates an undergarment or clothing-side view of the adjunctflap 315 in addition to the other components described in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the absorbent article 300 in useengaging the crotch region or crotch 520 of undergarment 510 and a flowchart of the method 500 utilizing the placement indicia 325 of theabsorbent article 300 of FIG. 3 in conjunction with men's undergarmentor underclothing 510 as the article 300 is anchored engaging a crotchregion 520 of the men's underclothing 510 via flaps 310 and adjunct flap315. The method 500 includes: step 530 inserting the absorbent article300 between the user's body and the undergarment 510; step 535straddling the flaps 310, and optionally flap 315, on correspondingsides of the crotch 520; step 540 placing top portion 314 of theabsorbent article 300 over the waistband of undershorts or underwear 510at the graduated placement indicia marking 325 that comfortably fits atorso or body make up of the user. If a user finds that the fit orplacement is too loose or too tight he may adjust the absorbent article300 to next placement indicia 325 to confirm a better or correctplacement; step 545 noting the chosen placement indicia setting thatcomfortably fits; step 550 optionally removing excess upper portion 314article material at or near perforations 340 adjacent to placementindicia fold-over. step 555 optionally disposing of or placing removedexcess material where absorbency is needed adjacent to the absorbencyarticle 300; and step 557 optionally placing a subsequent absorbentarticle 300 at the previously determined placement indicia setting andreturning to step 535.

FIG. 6 is a frontal perspective of the absorbent article 100 before andat initial placement inside the undergarment or undershorts 602 engagingthe undergarment crotch region 607. The absorbent article 100 can beinserted or installed between the undershorts 602 and the user's genitalregion where the absorbent flaps 110 straddle the crotch region 607 ofthe undershorts 602 as described above with respect to process methodsteps 530 and 535.

FIG. 7 is a frontal and side perspective of the absorbent article 100 ofFIG. 6 folded over and engaged with the undergarment 602 according tothe placement indicia 125 and desired fit. After initial insertion orinstall, the absorbent article 100 can be folded over the waistband ofthe undershorts 602 and the placement indicia 125 can be used to markthe desired fit for the user as the absorbent flaps 110 straddle thecrotch 607 and extend to the upper thigh region of the users legs 710optionally covered by the undershorts 602 as described above withrespect to process method steps 540 and 545.

As described above, the method of placing the absorbent article 100 formale incontinence includes the step of folding an upper portion of thearticle having laterally disposed indicia 125 over a waistband 715 ofunderclothing 602. This placement restricts downward and upward movementof the article 100 with respect to the underclothing 602. The indicia 25indicate a location best fitting a user. The method further includesstraddling the crotch 607 of the underclothing 602 with the flaps 110and split 105 thus, restricting a lateral and, eventually, downwardmovement of the absorbent article with respect to the underclothing. Thesplit 105 may extend longitudinally toward an upper portion of thearticle 100 a distance between about a sixteenth of the full length ofthe article and about the full length of the article.

The absorbent article 100 flaps 110 are structured to: straddle thecrotch 607 of the undergarment 602, restrict lateral movement of theabsorbent article 100, and extend to a thigh region 710 of a user. Theplacement indicia 125 marked on and an upper portion of the article 100body side sheet folds over the waistband 715 of the undergarment 602 ata placement setting desired by a user of the absorbent article, theplacement setting chosen among the placement indicia 125.

FIG. 8 is a perspective of a bottom, garment-facing, surface of anothersuitable absorbent article embodiment 800 having an absorbent structurewith a singular absorbent flap 830 and a garment adhering element(s) 820temporarily covered by a protective sheet 810. The singular absorbentflap 830 is efficient for use with briefs or boxer briefs. The flap 830may be placed in the frontal body portion on top of the crotch of theunderwear pointing towards the user's rear and the protective sheet 810removed to expose the garment adhering or fastening element(s) 820 toadhere or fasten the article 800 to the underwear and restrict article800's movement.

FIGS. 9A-9B illustrate the fold-over bottom surface and top, body-facingsurface, view perspectives respectively of the absorbent article of FIG.8. The absorbent top body-facing surface 815 includes indicia 825 tofacilitate determining and remembering proper fit per individual comfortand body shape.

FIG. 10 is a perspective of the absorbent article of FIG. 8 in useengaging a waistband 1012 of and adhering to underwear briefs 1010. Thesingle absorbent flap 830 is extended in the frontal body portionpointing toward the rear of its user atop a crotch region 1015 of thebriefs 1010.

FIG. 11 illustrates a bottom, top, and side view perspective of analternative absorbent two-flap article 1105 configuration inserted into,folded over, adhering or fastened to, and engaged with the undergarmentbriefs 1010 in accordance with placement indicia 1125 and/or desiredfit. A liquid impermeable garment-facing bottom side 1115 of theabsorbent article 1105 is shown before and at initial placement insidethe undergarment briefs 1010 and tucked into the undergarment crotchregion 1015. The absorbent article 1105 includes two flaps 1130 andadhering or fastening tab(s) 1120. The absorbent article 1105 can beinserted or installed between the briefs 1010 and the user's genitalregion where the body-facing side 1110 faces the user and the absorbentflaps 1130 are tucked into the crotch region 1015 of the briefs 1010.

FIG. 11 also illustrates absorbent article 1105 folded over and engagedwith the waistband 1012 of briefs 1010 according to the placementindicia 1125 or desired fit. The adhering tab(s) 1120, for exampleadhesive tabs, are exposed (after removing the protective sheet) andadhere to the external front of the briefs after initial insertion orinstall of the absorbent article 1105 and folding over the waistband1012 of the briefs 1010. Alternatively, the adhering tab(s) can beplaced to adhere to the internal front of the briefs 1010.

As described above, the method of placing the absorbent article 1105 forincontinence includes the step of folding an upper portion of thearticle having laterally disposed indicia 1125 over the waistband 1012of briefs 1010 and adhering the article 1105 to the briefs 1010 with andadhering or fastening means 1120 such as adhesive or a clip. Thisplacement restricts downward and upward movement of the article 1105with respect to the underclothing 1010. The indicia 1125 indicate arepeatable location best fitting a user.

When introducing elements of the present disclosure or the preferredembodiment(s) thereof, the articles “a”, “an”, “the”, and “said” areintended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms“comprising,” “including”, and “having” are intended to be inclusive andmean that there may be additional elements other than the listedelements.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense. Embodiments of the present invention, for example, are describedabove with reference to block diagrams and/or operational stepillustrations of methods, systems, and article products according toembodiments of the invention. The functions/acts noted in the blocks mayoccur out of the order as shown in any flowchart. For example, twoblocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantiallyconcurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverseorder, depending upon the functionality/acts involved.

While certain embodiments of the invention have been described, otherembodiments may exist. While the specification includes examples, theinvention's scope is indicated by the following claims. Furthermore,while the specification has been described in language specific tostructural features and/or methodological acts, the claims are notlimited to the features or acts described above. Rather, the specificfeatures and acts described above are disclosed as example forembodiments of the invention. These and other modifications andvariations to the present invention may be practiced by those ofordinary skill in the art, without departing from the spirit and scopeof the present invention, which is more particularly set forth in theappended claims. In addition, it should be understood that aspects ofthe various embodiments may be interchanged both in whole and in part.Furthermore, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that theforegoing description is by way of example only and is not intended tolimit the invention so further described in such appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A male incontinence absorbent article for usewith undershorts, the absorbent article comprising: an upper portion;and a lower portion, at least the lower portion of the absorbent articlecomprising at least a portion of an absorbent body-side sheet; theabsorbent body-side sheet and the lower portion of the absorbent articleincluding a split extending longitudinally from an edge of the lowerportion toward the upper portion and forming at least two absorbentflaps in the lower portion of the absorbent article, the split borderingat least one side of the at least two absorbent flaps; the at least twoabsorbent flaps structured to engage with and extend downward beyond acrotch of the undershorts, the at least two absorbent flaps structuredto restrict movement of the absorbent article with respect to theundershorts; wherein at least the lower portion, including the portionof the absorbent body-side sheet, comprises at least one absorbentmaterial.
 2. The absorbent article of claim 1 wherein the split extendsa distance between zero and less than about half of a length of theabsorbent article.
 3. The absorbent article of claim 2 wherein the splitextends the distance of greater than about a sixteenth of the length ofthe absorbent article.
 4. The absorbent article of claim 1, furthercomprising a back sheet within at least the lower portion of the articlewherein the body-side sheet comprises a top sheet of the article, thetop sheet above the back sheet of the article, the upper portionstructured to fold over a waistband of the undershorts thereinrestricting movement of the absorbent article with respect to theundershorts.
 5. The absorbent article of claim 4, further comprising amiddle sheet between the back sheet and the top sheet, the middle sheetwithin at least the lower portion of the article wherein the middlesheet and the top sheet are each made from an absorbent material.
 6. Theabsorbent article of claim 5, wherein the top sheet is liquid permeableand the back sheet is liquid impermeable, the top sheet adjacent to themiddle sheet on a side opposite the back sheet.
 7. The absorbent articleof claim 4 wherein the top sheet is made from a material selected fromthe group consisting of woven fabric, nonwoven fabric, liquid permeablefilm, and combinations thereof.
 8. The absorbent article of claim 4,further comprising a wicking fold disposed longitudinally on the topsheet.
 9. The absorbent article of claim 1, further comprising indiciadisposed on the upper portion of the article to allow a user to retainand adjust placement of the absorbent article, the upper portionstructured to fold over a waistband of the undershorts, restrictmovement of the absorbent article with respect to the undershorts, anddisplay the indicia to a user of the absorbent article for reference.10. The absorbent article of claim 5 wherein the middle sheet is madefrom a material selected from the group consisting of cellulose, woodpulp, rayon, cotton, polymeric fibers, and combinations thereof.
 11. Theabsorbent article of claim 1, further comprising an adjunct flapattached to the absorbent article such that the adjunct flap overlapsthe split.
 12. The absorbent article of claim 5 wherein the back sheetis within the upper portion adjacent to the top sheet and wherein theback sheet is made of at least one absorbent material,
 13. A method ofplacing an absorbent article for male incontinence comprising the stepof folding an upper portion of an article having laterally disposedindicia on the upper portion, over a waistband of underclothing thereinrestricting at least downward movement of the article with respect tothe underclothing, the indicia indicating a location best fitting auser, the article further comprising a lower portion including at leasta portion of a body side absorbent sheet; and at least one slitextending longitudinally from an edge of the lower portion toward theupper portion a distance of at least one sixteenth of a length of thearticle, wherein the body side sheet is made from at least one liquidpermeable material.
 14. The method of claim 13, further comprisingstraddling a crotch portion of the underclothing with at least oneslit-extending longitudinally from an edge of the lower portion towardthe upper portion a distance of at least one sixteenth of a length ofthe article therein restricting at least lateral movement of theabsorbent article with respect to the underclothing.
 15. An absorbentarticle, the absorbent article comprising: an absorbent body-side sheet;a split in at least a lower portion of the absorbent body side sheet,the split extending longitudinally from an edge of the lower portion ofthe absorbent body side sheet toward an upper portion of the absorbentbody side sheet; and at least two absorbent flaps formed by the split inat least the lower portion of the absorbent body side sheet, the splitbordering at least one side of the at least two absorbent flaps, the atleast two absorbent flaps structured to: straddle a crotch portion of anundergarment; restrict at least lateral movement of the absorbentarticle; and extend to a thigh region of a user of the absorbentarticle.
 16. The absorbent article of claim 15, wherein the splitextends longitudinally toward an upper portion of the body side sheet adistance between about a sixteenth of a full length of the article andabout the full length of the article.